1. Cairo, Egypt:
Cairo is one of the most famous places in Egypt and is the capital for the country. The city is filled with numerous architectural beauties and the Egyptian Museum is one of the best attractions for the foreign visitors in the country with its priceless artifacts. The museum contains the royal mummies and other historical artifacts as well. Cairo is the largest city and its metropolitan area is also the largest one in the subcontinent. The history of the city is linked with the history of ancient Egypt and the Giza pyramid complex is a great attraction here. It is said that the foundation of the modern Cairo was done in 969 BC and since then, the city has turned into the center of culture, politics and life. The city is also known as ‘The City of Thousand Minarets’ for numerous mosques and Islamic architectures.
2. Alexandria:
Alexandria is another important visiting place in Egypt and its history is related to the ancient times of Egypt. Once it was a lighthouse and considered as a Wonder of the World but now this is a complete city modern facilities. The city has experienced different ruling periods and the rulers had modified the city after their needs. So, some of the historic remains are still available in the city that help the visitors to remember the golden days of the city. The sandy beaches, old-war cafes and the Greco-Roman landmarks are the key attractions now. Alexandria is the second largest city in the country and playing important role as an economic center. The city is vulnerable to the sea level rise as it is on the low lying land than the other parts of the country. The city was founded the Alexander the Great in 331 BC and the name has been derived from the name of Alexander. Presently, this is one of the most important tourist destinations in the country.
3. Sharm El Sheikh:
This is a great place indeed for the outsiders in the country for several aspects. The first and most important fact is that Sharm el-Sheikh is a resort town like the other resort towns of the world but it is distinctive in some ways. The town contains natural sandy beaches while the waters of the beaches are clean and clear while the coral reefs are the other attractions of the town. The resort town is enriched with modern amenities for its visitors and filled with restaurants, bars and other entertainment facilities like diving in different adjacent places. The town is adjacent to the coastal strip of the Red Sea and it is also the seat of local government. With its extraordinary features, the town has become one of the major destinations and holiday tourism center in the country. The town is also referred as the City of Peace as many of the International peace conferences are held here annually.
4. The Abu Simbel temples:
Egypt is one of the countries in the world that contains varieties of places to visit and some of them are enlisted with the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. The Abu Simbel temples are made with rock and located in a village of southern Egypt named Nubia. In fact, this is a complex of two rock made temples at this village and popularly known as the Nubian Monuments. The temples were carved from the mountainside in the 13th century BC when Pharaoh Ramesses the Second was on the throne. Some other monument of the Pharaoh and his queen, Nefertari are also available across the country. The twin temple complex has been shifted to a new place in 1968 as the Lake Nasser was submerging them. So, the complex was shifted to an artificial hill. It is known that the construction for the temples began in 1264 and it took around 20 years to complete them and with the passage of time, they have been changed naturally. Now they are attracting tourists from different parts of the world.
5. Valley of the Kings:
Standing on the Nile, the Valley of the Kings is a ground that was used to bury the kings and nobleman of the country till a certain period. In fact, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and the other noblemen of the court for around 500 years. The valley is also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings. There are two valleys are found now and they had different use. They are known as the East Valley and the West Valley. The east part of the valley contains the tombs of royal family members while the west part contains the tombs of the powerful noblemen of the country. The royal tombs are decorated with different sceneries that depict their religious beliefs and rituals. Unfortunately, majority of the tombs have been robbed in different periods but the remaining of the tombs still provide a complete idea about the tombs’ archeological values.
6. The Giza Necropolis:
This one of the most impressive archaeological site in the outskirts of Cairo in Egypt. Three pyramids are located here and the entire complex is known as the Great Pyramids. The complex accommodates the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx. Besides, there are some cemeteries are also available in the complex. Giza is an old town and on the west part of the Nile River. These are the pyramids which have been standing at the same place for ages and have turned into the archaeological icon for the country. The pyramids became more popular in the Hellenistic times when the largest pyramid was marked as one the Seven Wonders of the World considering its age and archaeological value. The Great Pyramid was constructed between 2560 – 2540 BC and that is also known as the pyramid of Khufu. This pyramid was made of a valley temple which is now buried by a village while the Khafre’s pyramid was also made of a valley temple, a causeway, the Sphinx temple, and the king’s pyramid. It is anticipated that the pyramids were built by moving huge stone from quarry but some other mysterious techniques were also used to build the pyramids. Though the pyramids were built to house the remains of the Pharaohs, not they are places of great importance and a must visit in Egypt.
7. The Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Ţūlūn:
The mosque - Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Ţūlūn is considered as the largest mosque in Cairo in terms of its massive land areas and this is also the oldest mosque in the country that is in its actual shape after constructions. The mosque is located in Cairo and was built in 876AD, during the rule of Ahmad ibn Tulun, the then governor of Egypt. Tulun was assigned to rule the country between 868 – 884 AD. The construction of the mosque was completed in 879 AD. There are some myths about the mosque location – some say that this is the place where Noah’s Ark arrived to rest. Tulun entered into the mosque with a door connected to his palace until the capital al- Qata was destroyed. Amid different destruction, the mosque is still standing on the position and overpassed the barriers. But the mosque experienced restoration in different phases and the first restoration took place in 1177. Now this is one of the attractive structures of the country.
8. Hurghada:
When the people want to have some relaxed moments, they move for Hurghada town, located on the Red Sea coast. This is a beach resort and famous for a notable number of entertainment activities and among them – diving, scuba diving etc. are notable. Besides, if someone wants to learn diving, there are several schools are also available in the locality to master the techniques of diving. The old town – El Dahar, is famous for traditional Egyptian coffee. Besides, the open air markets, known as the souks, always remain crowded with visitors. The resort town is filled with bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The sandy beach is another key attraction for the city and a good number of resort hotels are located by the side of the beaches. After the foundation in the beginning of the 20th century, the city served as a fishing village and after 1980s, gradually it developed and attracted foreign investors to make it into a coastal resort.
9. Oasis Siwa:
The Siwa Oasis is an oasis in the desert of Egypt and is inhibited with a special group of people. The settlement is the remotest one in the country and thus they have formed a distinct language and culture of their own. The oasis is famous form an ancient age as it was the home of the oracle of Amon. The ruins are now the popular tourist destinations for foreign visitors in the country. The oasis lies between the Egyptian Sand Sea and the Qattara Depression. The oasis is around 348 miles away from Cairo and thus requires huge preparations before travelling there. The present name of the oasis was found in the 15th century but no evidences have been found about its naming origin. The official attachment of the oasis with Egypt took place in 1819 and the site has been used in the First and the Second World Wars. But now, this is a great place of historical interest and entertainment.
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